A mobile device such as a user equipment (UE) may switch among one or more networks such as a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) available in a given geographical location, or may switch to a new network when moving from one geographical location to another. When the UE registers with the new network, the UE may send a request to the network to utilize a service that the UE desires to utilize. Generally, it can occur that the network may reject one or more such requests from the UE, and there is a requirement that UE shall not send the same request until the UE registers with another PLMN or one of a number of other events occurs. The other event may include, but is not limited to, a switch-off/switch-on of the UE, removal of a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (SIM/USIM), or expiry of a timer which is started when the reject message is received by the UE. In some cases, however, for example for some network configurations, it makes sense to allow the UE to send the same request only after it registered with another PLMN which is not in the list of equivalent PLMNs, whereas in other cases the UE should be allowed to send the same request after registration with any other PLMN, regardless whether it is equivalent to the network sending the reject message or not. Current Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocols do not provide the network with the flexibility to indicate whether or not the UE is allowed to apply the above conditional re-requests. In general, all network configurations have to live with that same UE behavior even though a UE behavior different from the one presently specified may be appropriate. Further UE access attempts and request repeats may result in unnecessary additional signaling if a given feature or service is not supported anywhere in the equivalent PLMNs. On the other hand, the UE may not reattempt a request for the feature or service after a registration with an equivalent PLMN, even though the new PLMN would be able to support the feature or service because the new PLMN may be configured differently from the previous PLMN. Currently, it is not possible to handle service re-requests from the UE in a flexible way for various reject cases. Typically only one behavior or rule is specified as the only possible UE implementation, and all network operators have to live with that UE behavior. In certain cases, the specification for a given UE behavior may force network operators to coordinate the deployment of services or features among all the equivalent PLMNs which may result in a delay of rolling out of a feature or service that some PLMNs otherwise may be able to provide before other PLMNs are able to provide that feature or service.
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